Victor Johnson takes helm of CFBISD Education Foundation

Being on the foundation allows me to have direct impact in the classroom, whereas sometimes with the district you got to go through a lot of channels for your dollars to be able to hit somebody. You can make a donation today, and tomorrow I can have that money in a classroom for a teacher, or through even a gift card, or just showing up and being able to pay for a lunch.”

Victor Johnson

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Victor Johnson has been named the new executive director of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Education Foundation – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises money to support the district’s students, teachers and campuses that would be otherwise unavailable through state or federal funding.

Before becoming director, Johnson served on the Education Foundation board for two years. He also brought experience as a community outreach coordinator for Prosperity Bank, a professional speaker, a youth advocate, a published author and a commissioner on the Carrollton Neighborhood Advisory Committee.

He succeeded Donna Wald, who retired on June 30 after a five-year tenure as executive director and 30 years working in education.

Johnson's new position comes amid CFBISD's declining enrollment and campus closures. "You're not just supporting students; you're looking for funding to support the educators and the staff members," Johnson said. "That can be a challenge at times in a community like this. And there's just so many areas where money is needed, so an educational foundation becomes super critical."

"Victor was on my board when I was executive director, so he's picked it up, and he's run with it," Wald said. "He came into this role with so much background and so much information, having served really as a key leader on the Ed Foundation board."

As executive director, Johnson said he aims to make the Education Foundation an award-winning foundation. Additionally, he said he aims to increase revenue by 10-15% in the first year. Lastly, he said he hopes to increase engagement with the Board of Directors, who serve in volunteer positions.

While he was serving as a board member, Johnson was heavily involved in the foundation's scholarship initiatives. Wald said that the scholarship initiative "takes someone who's got some time and can work with large groups and small groups, pull it all together." Wald said that as scholarship chairman, "He just crushed it."

"I'm really excited about Victor going from board volunteer to the executive director because of that experience that he has," said Christy Spivey, vice president of marketing. "He is not shy about speaking about the mission, introducing himself, being a pillar of the community."

_{Local News Matters.}